On December 6, 2020, on the Virtual Tour of Kashubia, the cyclists taking part in the second edition of the Gran Fondo Gdynia VR competition will face a fierce competition. There will be 90 kilometers to ride again, starting and finishing at Kościuszko Square in Gdynia, Northern Poland.

While the coronavirus pandemic is still taking its toll on us and the weather is less and less conducive to cycling, it’s high time to vacuum the trainers and look for challenges in the virtual world again. One of them may be Gran Fondo Gdynia VR Winter Edition, a virtual competition on December 6, held on the route of the Gran Fondo Gdynia race.

Photo: © Gran Fondo Gdynia

Registration for the competition lasts until November 30, 2020 on the SlotMarket.pl platform. There are two starting packages to choose from:

  •   basic package: includes participation in the Gran Fondo Gdynia VR Winter Edition race = for 40 PLN;

  •   extended package: apart from the race, Gran Fondo Gdynia VR Winter Edition also includes a commemorative medal (the price includes shipping) = for 70 PLN.

A commemorative medal for the participants of Gran Fondo Gdynia VR Winter Edition:

Photo: © Gran Fondo Gdynia

– The first edition of the competition in the virtual world was very well received, so immediately after its end we announced the winter edition – admits Łukasz Maleszewski, press spokesman of Gran Fondo Gdynia. - Independent training is not enough. Athletes, including amateurs, need competition, they want to prove themselves in a direct duel with others. This is what the Gran Fondo Gdynia VR Winter Edition race makes possible – he assures.

Not only the effort and emotions during such virtual competition are real. The competitors are racing along the actual Gran Fondo Gdynia route. Its entire course was specially recorded for the race and transferred to the virtual world with attention to detail.

Photo: © Gran Fondo Gdynia

The winter edition of Gran Fondo Gdynia will be held on the Kinomap application.

– We’ve chosen Kinomap formany reasons: a very simple user interface. The Mobile App is in Polish, compatible with many devices on the market – says Maciej Pawłowski, New Business Development Manager at SE Group. – Kinomap is a mobile application available for both Android and iOS. When you want cycling emotions on the big screen, you can easily share the image from your phone or tablet via a web browser on a computer or on a Smart TV connected to the Internet. In addition, the function of virtual drive gear change works very well. The configurations of some bikes do not allow to climb hills in other applications or use the descents effectively. The adjustment does not change the difficulty of driving, but simulates a different gear size, of course, affecting the speed – he adds.

Photo: © Gran Fondo Gdynia

Kinomap allows a large group of cyclists to compete simultaneously with various types of equipment.

– At the same time, we will be able to classify all types of trainers - both interactive ones with the use of the rear wheel and the most realistic ones with a power transfer to a directly mounted cassette on the trainer – says Maciej Pawłowski. – Kinomap also gives us great flexibility in publishing new routes. We hope that our cooperation will translate even more into the development of virtual racing in Poland – he sums up.

Photo: © Gran Fondo Gdynia

In order to better prepare for the start and get to know the Kinomap application, the organizers have prepared a series of 4 training sessions called Gran Fondo Gdynia Trophy. The first test drive will be held on 27 November at 20:00. This is the coffee ride calendar:

  •   November 27, 2020 / at 20:00: Gran Fondo Gdynia Trophy # 1 Gdynia – Koleczkowo (20.1km)

  •   November 28, 2020 / at 20:00: Gran Fondo Gdynia Trophy # 2 Koleczkowo – Szemud (24.2km)

  •   November 29, 2020 / at 20:00: Gran Fondo Gdynia Trophy # 3 Szemud – Koleczkowo (19.2km)

  •   December 1, 2020 / at 20:00: Gran Fondo Gdynia Trophy # 4 Koleczkowo – Gdynia (26.1km)

To participate in the training, you must create an account at https://www.kinomap.com . Then install the application on your phone. After logging in, connect the trainer, find the selected training session and join it. Sessions will be available 15 minutes before the scheduled start time. Detailed instructions are available at http://gfgdynia.pl/pl/kinomap

Kinomap application for Gran Fondo Gdynia participants:

– Important to add and configure your trainer in advance. The first test run on November 27, anyone willing can do it on their own. The next ones will be a group ride. At the last training, on December 1, Aleksandra Krawczyk, sportsman and influencer known as “TRI in blonde”, will be a special guest – says Maciej Pawłowski.

The first 14 days of using Kinomap is free! And all Gran Fondo Gdynia VR Winter Edition participants will also receive a free monthly access to the application worth 10 Euro.

Photo: © Gran Fondo Gdynia

The first edition of Gran Fondo Gdynia VR, organized on May 24, 2020, was attended by over 150 cyclists. The best player turned out to be Aureliusz Kłus, who reached the finish line in 2:09:50. Alicja Pyszka-Bazan (2:17:12) triumphed among women.

More information at   ⇒   http://www.gfgdynia.com